This invention relates to a fuel injected engine and more particularly to a layout for the components of a fuel injected engine that provide adequate cooling of all the components of the engine which are mounted in the cylinder head.
As a means of providing improved fuel efficiency and the control of unwanted gas emissions, direct cylinder injection is being considered. One form of direct cylinder injector includes an injection valve that is controlled by an electrically operated solenoid. Such electrically operated injection valves, however, generate a fair amount of heat due to the electrical energy expended in opening and closing the injection valve. In order to further improve combustion, it has been proposed to employ multiple spark plugs for an engine. Where multiple spark plugs and a fuel injector having a solenoid operator are all mounted in the cylinder head of the engine, certain problems can arise.
In addition to the mere problem of placement of the components, the positioning of both a fuel injector and a spark plug in the cylinder head of the engine can give rise to cooling problems. That is, the spark plug and fuel injector are normally cooled merely by the air flow across the engine. However, if these components are both mounted in the cylinder head, the placement of one is likely to interfere with the cooling air flow across the other.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved cylinder head assembly for a fuel injected engine.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved cylinder head, spark plug and fuel injector arrangement for an engine that will insure adequate cooling without any component interfering with the air flow across the other components.